bluShift is a GO for Full Flight-Duration Engine Test
After conducting a successful cold-flow test, the aerospace startup has been cleared for a 60-second burn, now scheduled for Friday, September 6 at 4 PM
September 5, 2024 – BRUNSWICK, Maine – bluShift Aerospace announced this evening that it has successfully run its latest cold flow test and is now in the clear to conduct a full flight-duration test of its proprietary MAREVL™ rocket engine. The successful cold flow test wrapped up at 6:45 PM EST, clearing the way for a full duration test tomorrow.
The hot fire test is scheduled for September 6 at approximately 4 PM at Brunswick Landing in Brunswick, Maine. The test will also be live streamed here.
“I have some welcome news,” wrote Sascha Deri, CEO and founder of bluShift Aerospace in an evening announcement to his supporters. “Our 3rd cold flow test was a success. The team has been working extremely hard so that we can get to hot fire asap. That moment has arrived.”
The full duration hotfire test will take place at approximately 4 PM at the company’s newly expanded test stand at Brunswick Landing. The test will be the latest in a series of horizontal static tests designed to optimize performance of the company’s biofuel-powered rocket engine, bringing it up to flight-grade performance.
“This is truly a milestone moment for our company, marking the capabilities of our MAREVL™ engine technology,” continued Deri. “It is our hope that the results of tomorrow’s test will inform the final manufacturing details of our flight vehicle. This represents a major leap toward commercialization of our upcoming suborbital launch services.”
In preparation for the full-duration test, the company’s team of engineers have installed a flight-ready oxidizer tank, expanded the company’s test stand to 40-feet in height, and re-engineered the entire testing configuration to tolerate greater amounts of heat, vibration, and pressure.
A previous test of the MAREVL™ engine reached a peak thrust of 20,000 lbs over 20 seconds. According to Deri, the upcoming test is projected to create up to 20,000 lbs of thrust over 60 seconds and will validate the engine’s performance in a newly adapted configuration.
“A successful flight-duration test is a major indicator for any rocket company in their progression towards commercial launch,” said Deri. “Once this test is behind us, we’ll be ready for a vertical flight configuration on our launch vehicle Starless Rogue.”
The full duration hotfire test will be witnessed by a select audience of spectators, including dignitaries, investors, supporters, and the media.
ABOUT BLUSHIFT
bluShift is on a mission to provide fast and individualized launch services for the growing sector of modern, small form-factor satellite customers, dramatically reducing the wait times of educational, research, commercial, and governmental customers seeking to launch to space. Founded in 2014, bluShift made history when it launched the first commercial rocket in the world powered by its proprietary nontoxic, carbon-neutral biofuel. Since then, the company has targeted both the suborbital research and the commercial small satellite launch markets, offering customers a more specialized and flexible launch service. Learn more at: https://www.blushiftaerospace.com